Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



Filed May 25, 1952 Nov. 24, 1953 LUCKHARDT 2,660,225

"ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JEQES'. 4-

I58" I45 INVENTOR JoHnNNEs LUCKHARDT BY ATTORNEY NOV. 24, 1953 r J Uc D-r 2,660,225

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY 0F A PERSON Filed May 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J OHFI N N E5 LU CKHQRDT- ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1953 ARTICLE OF REPOSE FoR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Johannes Luckhardt, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany,

assignor to'Anton Lorenz, Buffalo, N. Y.

' Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,497

The "present invention relates a articles of furniture, and more particularly to articles of I repose forsupporting the body of a person.

An object of the invention is to provide a reclining chair. or the like with a link system including amovable back-rest, a movable seat and a movable leg-rest which may be readily and conveniently brought into different positions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reclining chairior the like which may be readily manufactured at low cost. Another object of the invention is to improve on the construction of articles of repose ior supporting the body of a person as now customarily made. 7

Other objects and structural details of the invention willbe apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. l is aside elevational view of a reclining arm-chair according to the invention, a portion of aside wall of said chair being broken away,

Fig; 2 is 'a side elevational view of the same chair as shown in Fig. 1, wherein, however, the

movable parts of the chair are in a reclined position, a d

"Figs. 3 6arediagrammatical illustrations of mg to the invention,

Referring now to'Figs. l and 2, 2t generally in di'cates the support of'an arm-chair comprising side walls 2 }224 connected with each other by cross :bars 26. 'lhe arm-rests of the chair are included in said side walls.

A back-rest 28 swingably mounted on the support '20 at so has a downward extension 32 rigiddifier'ent embodiments of reclining chairs accord 14 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) 2 42, is swingably mounted on the support 2!) at v 44. According to the embodiment shown in Figs.

with the controlling member, generally indicated by 42. This pivotal connection 52 is arranged'in a plane above the plane of the pivotal connection 54 between the controlling member 52 and the support 26.

rest 28. One end of a second connecting link 55 is pivoted to thelcontrolling member, generally indicated by 42, at 58. other end of said front connecting link 56 is pivoted to the seat 34 atEQ. 7

One end of a controlling link 69 is pivotally connected with the controlling member 42 at 62. The other end of said controlling link 58 is pivoted to the leg-rest 38 at 64.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivotal connections is, 5'2, 58 and 62 and the controlling member 42 with the support 2!), first connecting link 5t, second connecting link 56 and controlling link so, respectively, n

are spaced fromeach other.

l urthermore, according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivotal connection 52 is slightly in front olia vertical plane extending through the axis of the pivotal connection 44, when the members of the chair are in the sitting position shown in Fig. 1. The pivotal connections 58 and B2 are located toward the rear in relation to said vertical plane. 7

62 of the controlling member 42 are in planes above the horizontal plane including the. pivotal connection 44' of the controlling member 2 with the support 20.

As will be readily understood, the arm chair shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a constrained linkage having stationary link means, i. e. the

portions of the support betweenthe pivots 35 and s4 and between the pivots 36 and 44, and 7 having a plurality of movable links, 1. e. the

downward extension 32 of the backrest 28, the seat 34, the chain of connecting links 5%, 45' and 56, and the guiding link 48 rigidly connected with the intermediate connecting link 45 of said chain of connecting links.

A person resting on the chair may readily bring the movable members of the chair from the sit ting position shown in Fig. 1 into the reclined 2 V l link 46 projects from the other side of said guid- The other end of said lower connecting link 5% is pivotally connected at 5d with the downward extension 32 of the backconnecting link oriront The position shown in Fig. 2 by leaning the weight of his body against the back-rest 28. The feature of the arrangement of the pivotal connection 52 between the controlling member 42 and the lower connecting link 50 in or somewhat in front of the vertical plane passing through the pivotal connection, 44 (the latter embodiment is shown in the: drawings) contributes to an easy displacement of the movable members of the chair from the sitting position of Fig. 1 into the reclined position of Fig. 2. This arrangement renders unnecessary the use of a spring; con nected with a stationary portion of the support and the controlling member 42 having the tend.- ency of urging said controlling member 42' in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1.

The movable members of the chair'may beheld: in any desired position by means oflocking means, not shown.

Furthermore, the extreme. sitting and reclining positions of the movable members of the chair may be limited by stops.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 substantially corresponds to the embodiment shown in Figs. I and 2. However, the controlling member I1'42,.instead ofbeingin the shape of a cross, comprises a. guiding link E48 having a first arm I45 and a second arm I41. Both arms are rigidly connected with the guiding link I48. The arm I45 pivoted at; lit with; the connecting: link r55. projects from one side of the guiding link I48. The arm I.4| pivoted at I52 with the connecting link I50 projects from the other side of the guiding link, [48. The points of. connection of said arms I45 and I41 with the guidingv link I48 are onset.

The lower end of the guiding, link I48 is pivoted to the support at I44, the upper end of said guiding link' I48 is'pivotedto the. controlling link I60 at I62. The back-rest andthe seat areindicated by I28 and H4, respectively. The, backrest I28 is pivoted to the support. at I39 and" the seat is pivoted to said support at I36. The legrest I38 is swingably mounted: on the seat I34 at I'4I.

According to, the embodiment shown. in Fig; 4 the controlling member 242 pivoted to the support at. 244 is in the shape of a bell crank; lever having a firstarm. 2'45 pivoted at 258110: the connecting link 256 and having a second arm 241. pivoted at 252 to the connecting link 2561 The upper endof a bar 248: rigidly connected with the bell; crank lever 2145; 2:41 is pivotally' connected. at. 262 with the controllinglink 260; The back-rest swingably mounted on the support at 23El'i's. indicated by 228.. The seat swingably mounted on the support at 236 is indicated by 234. 238indicates the leg-rest swingably mounted on the seat. 234 at 241.

If. desired, the leg-rest 238'shown inFig. 4, couldbe omitted. In such a case, icourse,. the controlling link 250 and the bar 248 would" also be omitted- According to the embodiment shown, in Fig. 5, the controlling member 342 is in they shape of; a plate. The connecting link: 350, the. connecting. link 3'53 and the. controlling. link. 361T are pivoted to said. plate 342 at spaced; points 352'; 358" and 362, respectively. The downward: extension 332i of the back-rest 328 pivoted to the support at.

330. is pivotally. connected with the connecting link 350 at 354. The leg-rest 338 is pivotally connected with the controlling link 360 at 3'6 4 and with the seat 334- at 341. The" rear endiportion of: the seat 334" is pivoted to the supportat 33ilat a point in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection between the back-rest 328 and the support.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, again the back-rest 428 and the seat 434 are pivotally connected with the support at a common point 430. One end of the lower connecting link 45!]. is pivoted ta the extension 432- of the back-rest 4-28 at: 454. The other end of said connecting link is pivoted at 452 to the arm 441 of an intermediate connecting link 446 in the shape of an inverted V. The other arm 445 of said intermediate connecting link is pivoted at 4% to one end of the connecting link 456, the other end of which. is: pivoted to the seat 434 at 453. The intermediate connecting link 446 is rigidly connected with the upper end of the guiding- Iink 448; the: lower end of which is pivoted to the support at 444. The upper end of said guiding link 44B is in pivotal connection at 462 with one end of the controlling link 4.69, the other end of which is pivoted. at 4'64 to a, leg-rest 43.8. swingably mounted on the seat. 434 at 4'.

Thus, according to the embodiment shownin Fig. 6; the controlling member 442 comprises. the guiding link 44 8' and the intermediate connecting. link 4465, the arms 445 and 4.41 of which project downwardly from each, side of said" guiding. link 448.

I. have described. preferred embodiments ofthe. invention, but it is understood. that this disclosure is for the purposev of illustration, and. that various omissions or changes in shape,. proportion and arrangement of parts, as. well. as. the substitution of equivalent elements for those. herein shown and described,,may bemade without. departing. from the spirit and. scope of. the. invention, as. set forth inthe. appended claims.

What I. claim is;

1. An article of repose for supporting the body. of a person, comprising. asupport a. back-rest pivotally mounted on said support said back-rest having a downward. extension, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being swingably mounted on said support, a controlling member pivotally. con- 45 nected with said support, a first connecting; link, said first connecting link being pivoted. at itsrear end to. said. downward. extensionof the backrest. and. at. its front endlto said. controlling mem.-- ber, the pivotal connection of. said controlling. member, with. said support beinginaplane. below the. plane. of the. pivotal connection of said. con. trolling member with said first connecting. link, a second connecting, one end of said. second connecting link being pivoted tosaid controlling. member, the. other end of. said second-connecting link. being pivoted. to. said seat, a leg-rest swingably mounted onthe front portion of. said seat. and a. controlling, link-v pivoted at one. of its.- ends to said leg-rest: and at its other end to. said con-- trolling member.

2'. In am article: oirrepose as claimed in; claim; 1, the pivotal. connection. between said control-ling" member and said first connecting link being sub-- stantially in the vertical plane-throughthepivotal connection between the controlling member and the. support when the movable members of the article are in the normal sitting position, and thepivotal connections between said controlling memberand said second connecting link'and said controlling link beinglocated't'oward the rear in" above the plane of the pivotal connection of said controlling member with said support.

4. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1, the pivotal connections of the controlling member with the first connecting link, the second connecting link and the controlling link being spaced from each other.

5. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1. said controlling member being in the shape of a cross, the lower end of said cross being pivoted to said support, the upper end of said cross being pivoted to said controlling link, one arm of said cross being pivoted to said first connecting link, and the other arm of said cross being pivoted to said second connecting link.

6. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1, said controlling member including a link pivoted at its lower end to said support and at its upper end to said controlling link, a first arm rigid with said first mentioned link and projecting from one side thereof, said first arm being pivoted to said first connecting link, and a second arm rigid with said first mentioned link and projecting from the other side thereof, second arm being pivoted to said second connecting link, and the points of connection between said two arms and said first mentioned link being offset.

I. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1, said controlling member being in the shape of a bell-crank lever, one arm of said bell crank lever being pivoted to said first connect? g link, the other arm of said bell-crank lever being pivoted to said second connecting link, and a bar rigid with'said bell-crank lever at its lower end, said bar being pivotally connected with controlling link.

8. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1, said controlling member being in the shape of a plate.

9. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 1,

said controlling member comprising a link pivoted at its lower end to said support and at its upper end to said controlling link, a first arm rigid with said first mentioned link and projecting downwardly from the upper end thereof, said first arm being pivoted to said first connec --ng link, and a second arm rigid with said first mentioned link and projecting downwardly from the upper end thereof, said second'arm being pivoted to said. second connecting link.

10. An article of repose for supporting the body of a person, comprising: a support, a constrained linkage having stationary link-means and a plurality of movable links, said stationary link means being included in said support, said movable links including a seat-member, a downward extension of a back-rest member, a guiding link and a chain of connecting links including a lower connecting link at one end of the chain, a front connecting link at the other end of the chain and intermediate connecting link pivoted to said lower and front connecting links, said guiding link being rigid with said intermediate connecting link and being pivoted at its lower end to said support, said lower connecting link pivoted to said downward extension of the back-rest member, said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat member, means pivotally connecting at least one of said backrestand seat-members with said support, a legrest swingably mounted on the front portion of said seat-member, and a controlling link, one end of said controlling link being pivoted to said legrest, the other end of said controlling link being pivoted to said guiding link,

11. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 10, said guiding link and said intermediate connecting link being integral with each other.

12. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 10, said guiding link projecting from both sides of said intermediate connecting link.

13. In an article of repose as claimed in claim 10, said intermediate connecting link being in the shape of a V, and being rigidly connected with said guiding link near the upper end of the latter.

i l. An article of repose for supporting the body of a person, comprising: a support, a back-rest pivotally mounted on said support, said back-rest having a downward extension, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being swingably mounted on said support, a controlling member in the shape of a bell-crank lever pivotally connected with said support, a first connecting link, said first connecting link being pivoted at its rear end to said downward extension of the back-rest and at its front end to one arm of said bell-crank shaped controlling member, the pivotal connection of said controlling member with said support being in a plane below the plane of the pivotal connection of said arm of the controlling member with said first connecting link, and a second connecting link, one end of said second connecting link being pivoted to theother arm of said bell-crank shaped controlling member, the other end of said second connecting link being pivoted to said seat.

JOHANNES LUCKHARDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDS'IATES PATENTS 

